Nutley plans to air commission meetings

The Nutley Board of Commissioners anticipates broadcasting its public meetings in September.

On Tuesday, Aug. 5, the board authorized a contract with Media Consultants to buy video and audio equipment, not to exceed $17,000.

According to the resolution, Media Consultants was the lowest of three quotes at $16,535. Funds are available from capital ordinance 3242A.

"We had to make sure they [the equipment] were synchronized and work together," Tucci told the Sun prior to the approval. "We just wanted to be very deliberate and do our diligence to make sure we buy all appropriate stuff."

Tucci said that, when he's seen other municipalities' meeting broadcasts, the quality wasn't always the best.

Resident Pennie Landry told the commissioners that, while she was excited about the broadcasts, she estimated equipment could cost $1,500 to record the meetings. She asked if other municipal events could be recorded.

Tucci said that it was the board's intention to primarily broadcast commission meetings, but that other meetings or events could also be recorded. The equipment can be removed from the Council Chambers, he said.

During a July 15 meeting, Landry asked the board what happen to $63,000 set aside for meeting broadcasts. The ordinance, approved in 2011, funded data, voice upgrades and equipment for broadcasting, she said.

Tucci told the Sun that he wasn't sure what was purchased at that time, but said it may have been specialty equipment, not necessarily intended for the recording of commission meetings.

Website

Revenue and Finance Commissioner Thomas Evans told the board that Monmouth University ranked Nutley's municipal website 323 out of 540 in a recent "best municipal website" poll. Criteria were based on content, use and citizen interaction, the latter in which Nutley scored 5 percent.

The commissioner requested for a representative from each department to help update the site.

Landry requested that a homeowner and citizen be a part of that process.

"We are the user.... We are also going to pay for it," Landry said. "I would really love to volunteer to be on that."

Evans said that web service provider GovDelivery Inc. was no longer in “this” business, but did not elaborate. According to Angela Hayford, a customer support representative for GovDelivery, the company is maintaining websites for current clients, such as Nutley, but will not be designing websites for new clients. During a July 15 meeting, the board awarded a one-year contract to the company, totaling $24,000.

Public discourse

Landry asked about the status of the Nutley Economic Development Advisory Committee.

Commissioner Evans said that the committee hadn't met this year.

"After our last meeting, we were looking to improve [and] modify the ordinances of the town, which we've done," Evans said. "The book of ordinances are now pending before the planning board, which should be approved this month."

The last time the committee met was October 2013.

Evans told Landry that he had been working on "question marks," regarding the Roche process and had been spending some time to secure the state aid.